At the top of the flight of stairs, the nine cultivators of the Great Imperial Palace looked at the sky before Ren Tian Xing said, "It's time. People who haven't come will be erased from the list. If they come back, then they'll just have to challenge the genius who has replaced them on the Imperial Ranking List. Now, who wants to replace them?"
Suddenly, the atmosphere became chaotic. Those people weren't there, but it might just be temporary.
When Ren Tian Xing said that, many people ran towards the empty Celestial Imperial Pillars. However, first arrived, first served.
Quickly, there were people on every Celestial Imperial Pillar: a hundred people, a hundred imposing and awe-inspiring people.
——
"Brother Feng, you're in charge of the first phase," Ren Tian Xing said to Feng Shen Tian. Feng Shen Tian nodded and rose up in the air.
He looked at the crowd and said, "How many people still want to compete for the Championship?"
"I'll try!" said someone jumping forwards.
"I'll try too!" shouted someone else. After a short time, several people had jumped forwards.
Dugu the Winner, Lang Ye, they all came out, thought Lin Feng. His eyes were twinkling. Dugu the Winner had the Godly Imprint King Body, and Lang Ye had the World King Body. With both having king bodies, even though they were only medium-level emperors, they couldn't be compared with ordinary medium-level emperors.
At the same time, Lin Feng turned around and looked at Tiantai's people. Two people came out of the group, Jian Mang and Hou Qing Lin.
Jian Mang is really strong. He will definitely be ranked in the Imperial Ranking List. And Hou Qing Lin understands reincarnation Dao strength. He should also be able to get ranked, thought Lin Feng, smiling to himself. Lin Feng didn't know how strong Dugu the Winner and Lang Ye had become, as he had not met them for some time. Chu Chun Qiu's progress was impressive: he was already a high-level emperor and he controlled Sky Absorbing Dao strength. He was terrifyingly strong and was considered as a legendary cultivator in the Celestial Godly University.
"Thirteen people want to compete for the Championship and replace the others!" chattered the crowd, their eyes twinkling with anticipation. As expected, the Pathfinder Day of the Imperial Ranking List was going to be fun!
"Some people rise, some people die, but all in all strong cultivators need to find their Path. They can battle to death for that and nobody can get involved," said Feng Shen Tian, releasing swift sword Qi. Nobody flinched. The thirteen cultivators stayed there.
Feng Shen Tian looked at them and said, "Now, if you want to challenge those at the top of the Imperial Ranking List, do it. If you defeat them, they'll be taken off the list."
"We haven't found our Path yet, if we get eliminated by people who are at the bottom of the list, then we won't be able to find our Path," said one of them slowly.
"If we get eliminated by people who are the bottom of the ranking list, then it's useless," said another one slowly. Lin Feng was surprised. He had thought those people would immediately try to get to the top of the list, but the thirteen people didn't move. They thought that if they were unable to deal with the others who weren't high up in the ranking list, then getting to the top of the list was useless.
"Someone who understands Dao?" said Feng Shen Tian, looking at Hou Qing Lin and the others.
Jian Mang didn't release Qi. He just walked forwards indifferently. Many people were startled. This guy was blind?
"Name? You understand Dao?" asked Feng Shen Tian.
"Jian Mang, Light Dao," replied Jian Mang calmly. Many people were amazed. Light Dao!
Feng Shen Tian looked at the others and said calmly, "Who else wants to come?"
"Losing against him wouldn't be a disgrace, he understands a very rare type of Dao strength, the Light Dao!" agreed someone, jumping and landing in front of Jian Mang. He released his Qi and strength pulsed out.
Jian Mang looked calm and indifferent. Suddenly, dazzling lights appeared as suddenly moved invisibly fast. A sword light appeared, shaking everything around it. The crowd had to close their eyes.
His enemy shouted explosively. Then, metallic sounds rang out amid multiple explosions. Cutting lights were flung in all directions. When the lights dispersed, the eyes of the strong cultivator who had faced Jian Mang were bleeding. He was blinded!
"I saw your Light Dao and you blinded. I will never see lights again. I will remember you, Jian Mang," said the cultivator. His eyes were dripping blood as he turned around and left. Jian Mang landed on the pillar where he had been standing.
Jian Mang's understanding of the Light Dao is incredible, thought Lin Feng. His eyes were gleaming. Jian Mang was really strong. He was different from people from Tiantai who had received the Celestial Evolution Holy Scriptures, as he hadn't. He had always relied on himself to become strong. And because he was blind, he had to understand Light Dao, it was the only way he could see.
At the top of the flight of stairs, the cultivators of the Great Imperial Palace wrote Jian Mang's name on the Imperial Ranking List. But it was just temporary.
Hou Qing Lin also won his battle. A year ago, he had comprehended Reincarnation Dao. He understood it even better a year later. People who fell into his reincarnation holes never came back. The cultivator who had lost against Hou Qing Lin said, "You control reincarnation strength. Within three years, you'll definitely be in the top three on the Imperial Ranking List."
The last two members were eliminated from the Imperial Ranking List by Hou Qing Lin and Jian Mang.
Some people had started understanding Dao strength, but not that well. Dugu the Winner and Lang Ye also replaced some ranked people. Dugu the Winner could already release 3,600 imprint lights. His king Qi was incredible, and he could turn it into gigantic celestial imprints. Many high-level emperors were astonished. People who had king-type bodies were incredible.
Lang Ye used world strength to attack explosively. He also won that way.
Lin Feng had watched his battle careful. Thanks to their king-type bodies, some cultivators could easily fill in the gaps caused by cultivation level differences. They were all incredible, and could already end up in the top thirty.
After the thirteen battles, seven people were eliminated from the Imperial Ranking List. The event hadn't even started properly, and things had already started changing. That was the cruelty of the cultivation world, and of the Imperial Ranking List. However, the crowd was still excited.
Every ten years, there were new people who understood Dao strength and ended up in the Imperial Ranking List.
Feng Shen Tian glanced over the hundred people and withdrew back to the top of the flight of stairs. Ren Tian Xing came forwards. He looked to the crowd and asked, "Among the hundred fighters, thirty-three understand Dao strength, plus Jian Mang and Hou Qing Lin, that's thirty-five. If I have forgotten anyone, please tell me."
"Thirty-five people understand Dao strength. There must not be anyone else in the Holy City. The Path is a difficult one," whispered the crowd. Thirty-five people was nothing. The Holy City was gigantic, and there were so many geniuses. The Holy City was one of the strongest cities, and yet only thirty-five emperors understood Dao strength.
"Since I haven't forgotten anyone, please ring the bell!" said Ren Tian Xing. A gigantic ancient bell appeared, and eight disciples of the Great Imperial Palace rang it.
The soundwaves rolled out with great power, and distorted the space. People had the sensation they were going to suffocate.
That bell was called the Great Imperial Bell or the Pathfinder Bell. It was used to find one's Path.
"I'm not going to talk about the rules, they're the same as before. Even though the name of the event is the Pathfinder Day of the Imperial Ranking List, the Great Imperial Bell is for people who understand Dao, since the Dao is the Path. Those who can't stand it can leave. Other people can replace them. If you decide to use the bell anyway, you might die. Only the first fifty people can use it!" declared Ren Tian Xing. He looked at the hundred people and asked, "Who wants to try first?"
"I'm coming!" Someone flashed forwards, it was Zhu Wu Ji, 23rd on the Imperial Ranking List.
"Alright, please. You'll be the first one." said Ren Tian Xing, moving back. At the top of the Celestial Imperial Pillars, many people sat down cross-legged. Their Qi was terrifying. They closed their eyes in a solemn and respectful way. The Pathfinder Day was finally going to start.
Zhu Wu Ji landed in front of the bell, his robe fluttering in the wind. Those who were at the bottom of the Imperial Ranking List looked anxious.
Suddenly, Zhu Wu Ji jumped forwards, opened his mouth widely, and roared with rage.
"Argh!…" His terrifying shout struck the Great Imperial Bell. Suddenly, a hundred lights moved towards the hundred cultivators. The earth and sky were shaking violently.
Many people's clothes were suddenly torn apart. Their heads shook violently, as if they were going to explode. Some people put their hands on their ears, trying to block the pain.
Zhu Wu Ji jumped forwards again and bombarded the bell with his fist, shouting furiously, "The Path is hard, but I'll defy the gods to become a peerless cultivator!"
His explosive shout struck the bell again. Thunder rumbled, the earth and sky kept shaking violently as the soundwaves rolled out. Someone was unable to resist and hurled away. His mouth bled violently and his skull started crackling.